Bethlehem station (Central Railroad of New Jersey)

Bethlehem is a disused train station in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It was constructed by the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) in 1873. Passenger service to the station ended in 1967. A restaurant opened within the station in 1976, and the building has continued to serve that role through several changes in ownership. The station is located on the north side of the Lehigh River, near Monocacy Creek, east of Main Street and south of East Lehigh Street. Another disused station, Union Station, is located on the south side of the Lehigh River.

Bethlehem
The Wooden Match restaurant in the old station, 2013
Coordinates40°36′59.5″N 75°22′56.7″W
Line(s)Central Railroad of New Jersey
History
Opened1873 (1873)
ClosedAugust 18, 1967 (1967-08-18)
Former services
Preceding station Central Railroad of New Jersey Following station
Allentown
toward Scranton
 Lehigh and Susquehanna Division Easton
toward Phillipsburg

History

Passenger service to Bethlehem over the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad (L&S) began in 1868.[1] The CNJ leased the L&S in 1871 in order to better compete with the Lehigh Valley Railroad, whose tracks ran along the opposite side of the Lehigh River.[2] The current three-story building opened in 1873. The Bethlehem chapter of the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce (the Jaycees) leased the second floor in 1962 and undertook a restoration of the structure.[3] Passenger service ended on August 18, 1967.[4] The CNJ's Harrisburg-Jersey City, New Jersey Queen of the Valley, and local service to Jersey City, New Jersey were the last trains out of the station.

The "Lehigh Street Depot" restaurant, later known as the "Main Street Depot", opened on the first floor in 1976.[5] Conrail, successor to the CNJ, formally sold the property to the restaurant owners in 1982.[6] The Main Street Depot closed in 2010; a new restaurant, "The Wooden Match", opened in 2011.[7]

References
  1. "Opening of the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad". Easton Express. February 3, 1868. p. 1.
  2. Archer, Robert F. (1977). The History of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Berkeley: Howell-North Books. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-8310-7113-4.
  3. "Bethlehem Jaycees Negotiating To Lease Jersey Central Station". The Morning Call. October 2, 1962. p. 4. Retrieved April 29, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "'Queen Of Valley' Skeleton Makes Final Run In Valley". Easton Express. August 19, 1967. p. 5.
  5. Murray, Randall (December 11, 1976). "Beef arrives simple but on-track at The Depot". The Morning Call. p. 39. Retrieved April 29, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Expansion plans on track for Main Street Depot as owners confirm sale". The Morning Call. August 20, 1982. p. 29. Retrieved April 29, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Satullo, Sarah K. (August 3, 2011). "Cigars International opening The Wooden Match in old Main Street Depot". lehighvalleylive.com. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
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